Emirates: ‘Spontaneous’ UAE residents can clinch travel deals for as little as Dh78 to Kuwait; Dh158 to Jordan; Dh318 to Italy and Dh365 to Greece in September. Flight, car hire and hotel marketplace Skyscanner said its flight pricing data shows that “being flexible with where and when you travel is the key to unlocking the best prices”.

The agency’s data revealed deals to more than “15 holiday favourites, including Egypt, Jordan, Italy, Greece and Turkey for less than Dh400 return” this month.

The deals were revealed in the travel agency’s ‘everywhere’ search option.

This came as Skyscanner said its latest research conducted in association with OnePoll shows 94 per cent UAE respondents consider themselves spontaneous.

According to the study, UAE respondents still have an average of 14 days annual leave left to take this year.

About 80 per cent of the respondents claim to be more spontaneous now than they were before Covid-19. “The whirlwind of recent events has clearly stirred up an irresistible desire for the unexpected, the unplanned, and the delightful surprises that only a spontaneous journey can deliver,” the travel marketplace said.

According to data the agency released, almost half (42 per cent) of UAE travellers have arrived at the airport without a destination in mind and booked then and there. About 60 per cent said they have booked a holiday less than four days before departure.

Skyscanner's travel expert Ayoub El Mamoun said: “As the world embarks on a renewed era of global travel, countless new flight routes connect us from all corners of the globe. Add to this the growing number of visa-on-arrival and visa-free travel options from the UAE, and easily and quickly searching and comparing cheap flights through sites like Skyscanner, and you've got the perfect recipe for the soaring trend of spontaneous holidays.”

Tips to book spontaneous flights

Skyscanner gave multiple tips to bag the best deals:

>> Keep dates flexible

Searching by multiple dates and airports will give you the best chance of a bargain. Flight prices are all based on supply and demand. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary. Flying on less popular days of the week is often cheaper.”

>> Mix and match

Being flexible in mixing up the airlines you choose to fly with can cut costs. Fares don’t have to be booked as returns, look at flying out with one airline and back with another or out of one airport and back into another.